Control mechanism



June 15, 1954 A. SHORTLAND 2,680,958

CONTROL MECHANISM Filed April 50, 1951 s Sheeis-Sheet 1 7 H .I .M .v

June 15, 1954 A. SHORTLAND 2,680,958

CONTROL MECHANISM y Filed April 30, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 00 00 000 000 a o o o o o o I o q o o o o o o o 000 0 0 0000 0 000 00 00 b 000 0000 000 0.000 00000 00 000 I 0 000 00000 00 '00000 0 000 j o 000 'o o o oc o 000000 000 00000 000 0000 000 000 0'- o o 000 o 000 o o o o o o. 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 0000 000006 000 00000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0'0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0000 000000 0000 00000 000 000 0000 000000- 0000 00000 000 000 o o o o 0 o o o o o o o 0 o o o o 00 0000 000000 000 00000- 0 Q o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o v o o 0 o 0 o o o o o o o o o o o o o e o 0 0 0 o o o o n h 00 oo 'oo' oo 00 oo oo oo oo oo 0 '0 00,0 0 000 0 0 0 0 0 0 d I 000' 00000 000 0000 000 000 0 0 000 0 0 0 000 000000 'c J O 000 00000 00 00000 o 000 000 0000 .000 00- 000 0 00 000 b k 000 o o 0000 o 000 0o 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 a Z o. 0 o oo oo\ f%oq oo 0 II 1 \I/ 2/ 2/ 2/ 2/ Inventor sequences of actions, operations or changes, but also to repeat certain actions, operations or changes or sequences thereof, according to requirements. Accordingly, in the case of a jacquard pattern mechanism for use in selectively actuating knitting or other instrumentalities in the production of patterns, variations in a pattern, or patterns confined to localised areas in a fabric, or even partial patterns can be produced by employing an appropriately pre-formed strip and racking and reverse racking the driving roller or cylinder at prearranged intervals instead of racking it completely first in one direction and then completely in the opposite direction.

Reversals in the direction of rotation of the driving and supporting roller or cylinder at predetermined times, may advantageously be controlled from the pre-formed strip itself, e. g. by the provision therein, at appropriate points, of additional perforations, impressions or embossings adapted to determine the actuation of a feel-er, dropper, or the like whereby a reversing clutch or other appropriate drive-reversing means is or are controlled, through the medium of suitable intermediate connections.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the ends of the pro-formed strip are engaged with spring-controlled or weighted rollers, the arrangement being such that when the drivin roller or cylinder is racked in one direction, the pro-formed strip will be drawn off one of the spring-controlled or weighted rollers and wound up on the other, and vice versa.

A jacquard strip provided in accordance with the invention may be of any desired length according to the pattern to be produced. For a knitting machine, for example, a strip of as much as 200 feet in length may be used, with winding up rollers of appropriate diameters.

To enable a pattern to be repeated, a complete set or series of equally spaced later-ally extending rows of perforations, impressions or embossings representing such pattern, may be duplicated in the strip, the spaced rows of one set or series alternating with the corresponding rows of the other set or series, so that the odd numbered rows of perforations, impressions or embossings will give a pro-arranged pattern when the driving roller or cylinder is racked round in one direction, and the even numbered rows of perforations, impressions or embossings will give the same pattern when the direction of rotation of the driving roller or cylinder is reversed. This feature also enables the operation of the machine under control to be continuous as, indeed, it would be were an endless band used as at present.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of so much of a circular knitting machine as is necessary to illustrate, in diagrammatic fashion, one form of the improved jacquard mechanism-as seen from the side,

Figure 2 is a detail front view of portions of the weight-influenced rollers with which the ends of the pre-formed control strip are engaged,

Figure 3 is a further vertical sectional view illustrating worm gearing suitable for intermittently rotating the driving roller or cylinder, and showing also a clutch, controlled from the preformed strip, for efiecting reversals in the direction of rotation,

Figure 4 is a detail plan view as seen in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 3 of a star wheel used for racking round the worm included in the said worm gearing,

Figure 5 is a developed side view of the worm,

Figures 6 and '7 are detail cross-sectional views taken respectively on the lines VI-VI and VII-VII of Figure 3, and

Figure 8 depicts a fragment of a control strip pro-formed in such a manner as to enable a pattern to be repeated upon the direction of movement of the said strip being reversed.

Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the drawings.

The jacquard patterning mechanism illustrated diagrammatically in. Figure 1 is generally of a previously proposed form comprising, in combination, jacks l for actuating corresponding independent needles (not shown) and having patterning butts 2, a bank of thin blade-like selectors 3 of right-angular form disposed side by side in vertical planes and the upright arms 3a of which are provided with butt-engaging formations i, and, for efiecting desired selections of the said selectors, according to patterning requirements, pivoted selecting members 5 adapted to be influenced by the provision or absence of holes in pre-formed sheet material 6. lhe patterning jacks 2 are located and arranged to fulcrum in grooves formed in a needle cylinder '3, and the selectors 3, which function as pressers, are slidably mounted and guided in a correspondingly grooved bed or support 3. The horizontal arms 32; of the selectors 3 are shouldered at 9 for engagement by a push bar it which is mounted in levers such as l I connected to or with the timing or controlling means (not shown) of the knitting machine. The push bar Hi, when suitably actuated at appropriate times, constrains all of the selectors 3 to move, against the action of tension springs l2, towards the jack butts 2. The selecting members 5 are formed inter-mediate their ends with depending lugs to for engagement, as desired. with the outer ends of the horizontal arms 3b of the selectors 3 which ends are mitred. The outer ends of the pivoted selecting members 5 are pro vided with nebs it for engagement in pre-arranged holes in the pro-formed sheet material 6. At their opposite, i. e. inner, ends the said members 5 have upwardly directed tails id adapted to be acted upon, at appropriate times, by a lifting bar it which functions to lift all of the selecting members simultaneously against the action of further tension springs it. The bar 15, like the push bar it, is also connected to 01 with the timing or controlling means of the machine. Thetiming and operation of a jacquard patterning mechanism of this form is such that first all of the selectors 3 are pushed towards the butts 2 by suitable actuation of the push bar I0, then the lifting bar it is actuated to lift all of the selecting members 5 clear both of the selectors and the pro-formed sheet material 6, next the said material is moved to the required extent beneath the selecting members, then the lifting bar 55 is restored to its original position so that some of the nebs l3 merely come to rest on the surface of the sheet material 6 while others drop through pre-arranged holes in the same, and finally the push bar iii reverts to its original position. As a consequence of this last movement the selectors 3 corresponding to those selecting members 5 whose nebs l3 penetrated holes in the sheet material 6 are still held forward by the depending lugs Ed on the said members, whilst the remaining selectors are permitted to spring back away from the jacks i, thereby effecting a selection of the latter. This cycle is repeated for each increment of movement of the pre-formed sheet material.

The patterning mechanism is in the form of a unit carried in a bracket I! which is mounted upon the top plate 18 of the knitting machine. At i9 is indicated the conventional head wheel to which, as shown in Figure 9, is secured the cylinder driving gear 29.

In accordance with the characteristic feature of the present invention, the pre-formed sheet material 6 is in the form of a strip, in contradistinction to a band. The strip, which has formed therein pre-arranged perforations such as those indicated at 2| in Figure 8, is passed over and supported by a driving roller 22 which is provided at its ends with peripheral pins or teeth 23 adapted to engage in regularly spaced holes 24 formed in the marginal edge portions of the strip. The roller 22 is of hollow cylindrical form and has provided therein straight complete rows of holes 25 spaced apart circumferentially at the same pitch as the pins or teeth 23. The holes 25 are of a diameter sufiicient to receive the nebs l3 of the selecting members 5. In the particular example illustrated in Figure l, the pre-formed strip 8 is continuous throughout its length and at its ends is engaged with weight-controlled rollers 26 and 27, the arrangement being such that, with the i-iollow driving roller 22 being racked round (that is intermittently rotated) in either direction, the said strip will be drawn off one of the weight-controlled rollers and wound up on the other. As will be seen more clearly in Figure 2, the ends of the rollers 26 and 21 have secured thereon co-axial drums 23 and 29 upon which are wound the two ends of a single length 30 of wire, cord or the like. The latter is passed around a pulley 31 from which is suspended a weight 32. Thus, there is provided a balanced pull on the strip 8, notwithstanding the varying different lengths of the same wound onto the respective rollers 26 and 21. In this way, the driving effort on the intermediate driving roller 22 is reduced to a minimum, thereby permitting an increase in the life of the strip inasmuch that damage to the driving perforations thereon is minimised.

Alternatively, the rollers upon which the ends of the strip 6 are wound may be controlled by torsion springs-dike spring roller blinds. In another alternative construction, not shown in the drawings, the spindles of the two rollers, such as 26 and 2?, have wound thereupon separate lengths of wire, cord or the like to the appropriate ends of which are attached weights oppositely arranged to provide the required balanced pull.

In the examples depicted in the drawings, the driving roller 22 is adapted to be racked round so as to propel the pre-i'ormed strip 6 step-by-step past the selecting members 5 and, in addition to its capability of being racked round in one direction, the said roller is also adapted to be reversely racked suchwise as to enable the entire strip to make complete passes alternately in opposite directions. This enables a pattern to be repeated, provided the perforations 2| in the strip 6 are appropriately pre-arranged. A fragmentary portion of a strip pre-formed in such a way as to enable a pattern to be produced during a complete pass of the strip in one direction and re- 1 peated during a complete pass of the strip in the reverse direction, and so on, is shown in Figure 8. As will be seen, in this particular strip 6 there is a complete set or series of equally spaced and laterally extending rows of perforations 2i representing a pattern, this set or series being duplicated in the strip at 21 and the spaced rows a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, z, k, and Z of the one set or series alternating with the corresponding rows a b 0 d e f g h 1' 1' R and Z of the other set or series (2 l Thus, the alternate or odd numbered rows a-Z of perforations 2! will give a pre-arranged pattern when the driving roller 22 is racked in one direction, and the intervening even numbered rows a -Z of perforations 21 will give the same pattern when the direction of the driving roller is reversed. The rows a-l are spaced apart to the extent of twice the pitch of the peripheral pins or teeth 23 on the driving roller the same applies to the rows ca -Z appreciated that when using such a strip, the driving roller 22, during a pass of the strip in either direction, will require to be racked round in steps each equal to twice the pitch of the pins or teeth 23. But whenever a reversal in the travel of the strip 6 is effected, the first step of the driving roller in the new direction must, of course, be to the extent of one pitch only. In the illustrated examples, moreover, the reversals in the direction of rotation of the driving roller 22 are controlled from the preformed strip 6 itself.

One example of the mechanism for racking and reversely racking the driving roller 22 will now be described with reference to Figures 3-7. As will be seen in Figure 3, there is rigidly secured upon one end of the spindle 33 of this roller (which is horizontally disposed) a worm wheel 34 in mesh with which is a worm 35 arranged to revolve about a vertical axis. The worm 35 is secured upon the upper end of a relatively short shaft 36 mounted to turn in bearings 3'! and 38 provided respectively on the bracket H and a bracket 352 secured beneath the top plate i3. To the lower end of this short vertical shaft 35 is secured to a bossed, substantially semi-circular drive-transmitting disc til adapted for co-operation with a driving dog ll on the top of a disc 52 combined with a bevel gear 43 free on a second vertical shaft 44 coaxial with the shai't 36. The semicircular drivetransmitting disc 46 and the dog ll are shown more clearly in Figure 6. The shaft 44 is mounted near its upper end in a bearing in the bracket 39, and near its lower end in a bearing 4% formed in a dished member i'l. This member is fixed upon a support iii and constitutes a cover for a star wheel 49 secured upon the lower end of the shaft 44. Freely mounted upon the shaft 44, and supported in the bracket 39 at a suitable distance below the bevel gear 43, is a further bevel gear 59, the two gears 43 and 50 being both arranged in mesh with a reversing bevel gear 5!. Rotatable together with, and slidable axially along a spline or keyway 52 on, the shaft 44 is a clutch component 53. This component is arranged between the two bevel gears t3 and 523. At its upper end the clutch component 53 is formed with a dog or dogs such as 54 adapted for engagement in a complementary clutch formation or formations such as 55 in a bossed portion at the underside of the upper bevel gear 43, whilst at its lower end the said component is similarly formed with at least one dog 56 adapted for engagement in a complementary clutch formation 51 in a bossed portion on the top of the bevel gear 58. The construction and arrangement so far described are, therefore, such that when the clutch component It will, therefore, be

53 is caused to slide upwardly along the shaft 44 to effect engagement of the dog 54 in the clutch formation 55, and the shaft 44 is turned, the co-axial shorter shaft 36 and hence also the worm 53 will also be correspondingly turned, through the medium of the bevel gear 53, the driving dog l carried thereby and the semicircular drive-transmitting disc 46. If, on the other hand, the component 53 is caused to slide down the shaft M to effect engagement of the dog in the clutch formation 5?, then, with the said shaft turning, the bevel gear 43 will be turned in the reverse direction to reverse the worm 35, through the medium of the bevel gear 59 and the associated reversing gear 5i. It will, however, be noted that each such reversal in the direction of rotation of the worm 35 is preceded by lost motion, to the extent of 180, or substantially so, between the driving dog 4! and the semi-circular drive-transmitting disc 48:

this is for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. Now the driv ng arrangement is such that the shaft :33 will be turned through one complete revolution once, or a plurality of times, during each revolution of the knitting machine, according to patterning requirements. This is achieved by forming the star wheel G9 with a pre-determined number of teeth 4% say eight as shown in Figure 4, and arranging for these teeth to mesh gearwise with a group of the same number of appropriately spaced upstanding pins 53 fitted in a continuously rotatable gear ring 59 provided in the machine to drive the conventional fabric drawing-off or take-down mechanism. Thus, each time the pins 58 of the group pass the star wheel is they function to turn the latter through one complete revolution. If only one such group of pins is provided on the gear ring 59 then, naturally, the shaft 45 will only be turned through one revolution once during each but, by providing revolution of the machine; two or more suitably spaced groups of the pins 58, then the shaft rial will be rotated to the extent of 3fi0 twice or more times per revolution of the machine. in any event, it is important to note that the contour of the operative portion 35a of the worm 35, shown in developed form in Figure 5, is such that whenever the worm is turned through one revolution it will cause the worm wheel as and hence also the driving roller 22 to be turned one step equivalent to twice the pitch of the peripheral pins or teeth 23. But at each reversal of rotation initiated by axial movement of the clutch component 53 as aforesaid, the semi-circular drive-transmitting disc 3% and the "arm 35 will be turned through half a revolution only, owing to the fact that the bevel gear 43 and the disc 52 combined therewith turn through one half revolution before lest motion between the driving dog 4! and the drive-transmitting disc it is taken up. As a consequence, each time there is a reversal in the direction of intermittent rotation of the driving wheel 22, the first step in the new direction will be to the extent of one pitch only of the pins or teeth 23.

The means for shifting the clutch component 53 up and down the shaft at appropriate times to initiate successive reversals in the step-wise rotation of the driving roller 22 include a clutch fork Eii which engages in a circumferential groove 51 formed in the component 53 and is combined with a lever 62 fulcrumed at 63 upon an extension 39a of the bracket 39. The lever 52 is subject to the influence and control of a tension 8. spring 54 tending to urge the clutch component 53 upwards. Thus, whenever permitted to do so, the lever 62: will move up under action of the spring 64 to effect engagement of the clutch dog it in the complementary clutch formation 55. For moving the lever 52 down against the spring action to efiect engagement of the dog 56 in the clutch formation 5?, at appropriate times, there is provided a multifaced rotary element 85 which arranged to bear. upon the upper edge of the said lever and is adapted to be racked round by pawl and ratchet mechanism controlled from the 1.71B-f0ll12$d strip The element 5?: has a plurality of fiat faces 65a alternating with further fiat faces 65?). The faces 5501. are located further from the axis of the rotary element 65 than the faces 65?). Combined with the element 65 is a suitably shaped ratchet disc $6 the teeth of which are adapted to be engaged seriatim by a springinfluenced pawl 57 which is pivoted on a vertically d sposed slidable bar 68. This bar is mounted in spaced guides formed in the brackets H and 353 and is controlled by a tension spring 59 tending to urge the bar downwardly. Normally, however, the bar G8 is held in the raised position shown in Figure 3 by means of a second pawl 78 engaging in a notch H in the bar. The pawl 16, which is also spring controlled, pivots upon a small arm i2 which is in turn fulcrumed in a fixed bracket it. The inner end of the arm i2 is forked at 12a to receive a pin 14 which is fixed in and extends laterally from a forwardly directed extension 15a of a feoler or dropper 15. The said feeler or dropper is very similar in form to the selecting members 5-one of which is shown in Figure 1. Thus, the feeler or dropper 15, which pivots upon the same fulcrum it as the selecting members 5, is formed with a neb "ill for engagement in pro-arranged additional holes in the preformed strip 5. The feeler or dropper i5 is also formed with an upwardly directed tail is adapted to be acted upon at appropriate times by the aforementioned lifting bar 55. Accordingly, whenever the neb 77 is permitted to drop through a perforation in the strip 5, the arm l2 will be turned downwards suchwise as to withdraw the pawl '19 from the notch H and thereby release the bar 53 which will thereupon spring downwardly under the action of the spring tit. As a result, the operative stroke will be imparted to the pawl 6? and the multi-faced rotary element will be racked round one step. According as to whether a flat face 6511 or a flat face B51; is then presented to the lever 52, the clutch component 53 will either be forced down against the action of the spring Bil or will be permitted to I slide up along the shaft 34 under the said action.

For restoring the released slidable bar 68 to its original raised position there is provided a twoarmed lever '18 one arm lea of which is adapted to be acted upon by a cam 85.? (see Figure '7) formed on the boss 88 of the semi-circular drivetransmitting disc 48. The other arm 79b of the lever 19 is arranged for engagement with a pin 82 fixed in the bar i323. The lever is is controlled by the same tension spring til serving to control the lever 52.

As will be seen, the driving roller 22 in Figure 1 is fitted with a ratchet wheel 83 for association with a racking mechanism. It is to he clearly understoo however, that the said roller will pref erably be fitted with a worm wheel such as as for associaticnwith the mechanism described with reference'to Figures 3-7. In fact, the last men tioned mechanism incorporating worm gearing is consid red generally to operateinore smoothly and positively than pawl and ratchet mechanism.

Horizontal bands, vertical stripes, localised patterns, or any desired combinations thereof, can therefore be readily produced according to the layout of the perforations, impressions or embossings in or on the strip and the manner in which the latter is racked.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine, in combination, individually operable elements, means for selectively operating and thereby controlling the said elements, pre-formed relatively thin flexible sheet material in the form of a tvvo-ended strip which is continuous throughout its length and has control formations pre-arranged over its surface, and also regularly spaced holes formed along the marginal edge portions thereof, a driving cylinder over which the pre-formed strip is passed, the said roller being provided with peripheral pins adapted to engage in the marginal holes in the strip, means for rotating the driving cylinder so as to propel the pro-formed strip past the controlling means suchwise as to influence the actuation of the latter, for the intended purpose, and two rollers with which the opposite ends of the pre-formed strip are respectively engaged, coaxial drums provided on the said rollers, a single len th of rope the two ends of which are appropr tely wound upon the drums, and a weighted pulley around which the rope passes, the arrangement being such that the rollers are weighted and balanced whereby when the drivcylinder is rotated in one direction the strip will be drawn off one of the said rollers and wound on the other, and vice versa.

2. In a machine, in combination, individually operable elements, means for selectively operating and thereby controlling the said elements, pre-formed sheet material in the form of a twoended strip having control formations prearranged over its surface, and also regularly spaced holes formed along the marginal edge portions thereof, a driving cylinder over which the pre-formed strip is passed, the said roller being provided with peripheral pins adapted to engage in the marginal holes in the strip, a worm wheel secured upon the driving cylinder, an appropriately contoured worm which is arranged in mesh with the said worm wheel, a shaft upon which the worm is secured, a second shaft which is separate from and co-axial with the worm shaft, a driven rotary part, means driveable from the said part for effecting intermittent rotation of the said second shaft, a clutch component which is rotatable with but slidable axially upon the second shaft, a movable feeler, actuation of which is determined by control formations in the pre-formed strip, means influenced by the feeler for moving the clutch com ponent alternately in opposite directions, a system of gearing, including a reversing gear, which system is normally free of the second shaft, drive-transmitting means between the said gearing and the worm shaft, the said gearing being adapted to be coupled to the second shaft by the clutch component suchwise as to turn the worm shaft first in one and then in the op posite direction in sympathy with the movements of the clutch component, whereby the driving cylinder is intermittently rotated alternately in opposite directions to propel the preformed strip back and forth and step-by-step past the controlling means so as to influence the actuation of the latter.

3. A combination according to claim 2, wherein the clutch component is engaged by a clutch fork combined with a spring-loaded lever, and there is arranged in contact with the said lever a multi-faced rotary member adapted to be racked round by means influenced by the strip-controlled feeler.

4. A combination according to claim 2, wherein for transmitting the drive from the gearing to the worm shaft there are provided co-operating parts between which there is lost motion at each reversal of the drive, for the purpose specified.

5. In a knitting machine, in combination, individually operable knitting instruments having patterning butts, selectors with butt-engaging formation for selectively operating and thereby controlling the said knitting instruments, movable selecting members for actuating the selectors, pro-formed relatively thin flexible sheet material in the form of a two-ended strip which is continuous throughout its length and has control formations pro-arranged over its surface, and also regularly spaced holes formed along the marginal edge portions thereof, a driving oylin der over which the pro-formed strip is passed, the said roller being provided with peripheral pins adapted to engage in the marginal holes in the strip, means for racking round, i. e. intermittently rotating, the driving cylinder so as to propel the pro-formed strip step by-step past the movable selecting members suchwise as to influence the actuation of the latter, means for also reversely racking the driving cylinder so that the latter can be intermittently rotated in either direction, thereby enabling the strip to be propelled back and forth in relation to the said selecting members, and loaded rollers with which the ends of the pro-formed strip are engaged so that when the driving cylinder is rotated in one direction the strip will be drawn off one of the said loaded rollers and wound up on the other and vice versa.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 507,635 Schaum Oct. 31, 1893 885,407 Vorwerk Apr. 21, 1908 97 6,909 Pearsall Nov. 29, 1910 1,151,817 Patterson et al. Aug. 31, 1915 1,678,121 Leveillee July 24, 1928 2,281,721 Sirmay May 5, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 696,630 France Oct. 14, 1930 

